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Albert Marufu: Having been in the game for more than a decade, when you became the youngest captain in the history of the cricket, how do you see the future of the sport in Zimbabwe?
Tatenda Taibu: As I have said before, there is a greater need to play more competitive games. Also, the big gap between administrators and cricketers should be bridged. Administrators need to know what cricketers need in order to perform at their best and the opposite is also true on the cricketers. It is going to take time, but those are the two main things that have to be done in our cricket.

Q: How is your relationship with Zimbabwe Cricket?
A: That is what I was talking about. The gap should be bridged.

Q: What influenced your decision to retire from the game because only two weeks ago you were talking about playing at the World Cup?
A: When something is revealed in your heart, there is no way you can stop it. It came to me as a revelation that I should serve Christ full-time. I had plans to go to the T20 World Cup in September, but once it was revealed to me that I should serve Jesus Christ, there was no going back.

Q: You could not have served the Lord while playing the game as well?
A: Like I said before, I want to give full- time commitment to God.

Q: Are we going to see you in a future role in local cricket?
A: I do not see that happening because religion and my family now come first. I appreciate that Zimbabwe Cricket gave me close to 12 years to serve my country, but now it is the time to serve God for the rest of my life.

Q: How about the academy you were planning to start?
A: I could not get the drive to get it started and I feel it was because of the calling from the Lord. I can now understand why I did not have the power to start it and am glad.

Q: How about your kids (Tatenda Jnr (6) and 11-months-old Gershom Paul), would you allow them to play any sport?
A: I will only teach them about the word of God. I would not want them to become idols as has been my case. When people see Tatenda Taibu, they see a hero who should be emulated instead of Jesus Christ who died for them. What good will it do to make money and lose eternal life? That is the reason I retired from the game.

Q: How much have you made from the sport and which investments have you made?
A: I am not going to talk about that. As for how I will survive, God will provide.

Q: Are we going to see you starting your own church which you want to concentrate on?
A: I do not want to hold any position and I am just an ordinary member of the Eagle Eye Tabernacle.

Q: I understand you are renting out part of your mansion, filled up the swimming pool with sand and no longer watch television as part of your being born again?
A: Such things take one’s time for prayer.

Q: Having been the first ever black person to captain a country at 19, how are you going to plough back to the youths who look up to you?
A: I will plough back to the community by selling the word of Jesus Christ . If I teach them cricket and they become successful without them knowing about the Lord, I would not have helped them.

Q: What were your highs and lows in your career?
A: I was named the player of the tournament at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. I also became the youngest captain in the history of the sport and was named the man of the series in my first game as captain against Sri Lanka. I think managing three Zeros in three consecutive matches in 2002 ranks among my lowest moments. My tenure as a captain was also not a success as people are measured by number of wins.

Q: Was the integration of black players into the sport a success?
A: Let’s stick to my resignation from the game, Albert.

Tibba wrote:A: I will only teach them about the word of God.

Tibba wrote:I would not want them to become idols as has been my case.

Tibba wrote:Q: Are we going to see you starting your own church which you want to concentrate on?
A: I do not want to hold any position and I am just an ordinary member of the Eagle Eye Tabernacle.

Tibba wrote: I will plough back to the community by selling the word of Jesus Christ

Tibba wrote:Q: Was the integration of black players into the sport a success?
A: Let’s stick to my resignation from the game, Albert.

eugene wrote:He does sound to have gone off the deep end, despite the pool being filled with sand.

ZIMDOGGY wrote:And yeah, I hope taitenda reads this.

sloandog wrote:I've lost a lot of respect for him :/

jimbo wrote:Whatever his kids decide to do he should support them rather than being dictatorial, sounds a very evengelical religion to me